Acute Bronchitis

ACUTE BRONCHITIS

Bronchitis is an infection of the airways in the lungs, most commonly caused by a virus. COVID-19 may need consideration in people with these symptoms below:

What does it feel like? You will have a cough which may be associated with clear, yellow or green phlegm (pronounced ‘flem’), noisy breathing, blocked nose, sore throat, mild headache, and fever.

What can I do to feel better? Bronchitis usually gets better on its own. Paracetamol and ibuprofen, warm drinks, honey, cough lozenges and inhaling steam from the shower may help ease your symptoms. Avoid anything that irritates the airways, such as cigarette smoke.

Will antibiotics help? Antibiotics are not usually needed. Taking antibiotics when you don’t need them can lead to the bacteria becoming resistant to that antibiotic. When bacteria become resistant to an antibiotic, the antibiotic no longer works.

What can I do to stop it spreading? Infections can spread to others when you cough, sneeze or blow your nose. Cover your mouth with your elbow when you cough or sneeze, wash your hands regularly, dispose of tissues after use and stay away from crowded places while unwell.

Do I need to see a doctor? Not usually. The cough normally takes 2 to 3 weeks to go away. If your symptoms last longer or if you have trouble breathing, you are feeling worse, you have other medical conditions such as chronic lung disease, or you are concerned, see your doctor.

COVID-19 is caused by a virus, and it can cause cough, runny nose, and sore throat. People with these symptoms should be tested for COVID-19 and should isolate until test results are known. For information go to https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus

Information sheets on other common infections can be found at https://www.ncas-australia.org/community-information-sheets.

The information in this factsheet is not intended to be a comprehensive guide and is provided without warranty of any kind. It is strongly recommended you seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to medical questions and to determine whether the observations in this factsheet are suitable for your circumstances. The University of Melbourne accepts no responsibility for any errors or omissions in the content of this factsheet and will not be liable to you or anyone else for any decision made or action taken in reliance on the information contained in this factsheet.